Howard runs for Starship

Meet Howard. He’s a hardworking, dedicated, big hearted member of the ASB Sponsorship team. And, by his own admission, he is not a runner!

Like many of us, he had ‘Run a marathon’ on his bucket list as something he might do ‘one day’. Well that day is coming because this year Howard is tackling his bucket list and running the 42.2km ASB Auckland Marathon for a very special cause – Starship Children’s Hospital.

Meet Isabel, Howard’s daughter. Isabel (7) was diagnosed in utero with a rare genetic condition called Conradi-Hunermann Syndrome (CDPX2). This is a disorder characterised by bone, skin and eye abnormalities, is linked to the X chromosome and occurs almost exclusively in girls. It’s estimated that in her seven years, Isabel has spent more than 500 hours at Starship, undergone six general anaesthetics, and met ten specialists across more than 100 appointments. You might be able to spot Isabel in this adorable 2016 ASB Auckland Marathon video made for Starship.

The Best Medicine | ASB & Starship

Because of this personal connection to Starship and having seen first-hand the work the Starship teams do for young kids, Howard is running the ASB Auckland Marathon to raise money for the children’s hospital. Already he has amassed over $4,500 towards his marathon $5,000+ goal. That’s over $100 for every kilometre he runs! And Isabel has also decided to participate by entering the Kids Marathon event herself.

And because Howard is the kind of guy that does everything at maximum effort, he is not only raising money for one of ASB’s key sponsorship partners, he is also involving many of the ASB teams in his journey. While some people might choose to train by pounding on the treadmill for hours or running around the back streets of their neighbourhood, Howard is out there visiting ASB branches as part of his runs and inspiring others to either join him or donate to his fundraiser page. So on Wednesday 14th September, Howard is embarking on an epic 26.4km run as part of his marathon training programme, visiting 14 ASB branches in central Auckland, including hopping on the ferry to Waiheke.